KPCC Blogs

Author Nick Rosen travels America to discover the motivations behind living without the U.S. electrical grid with surprising results. It might sound like the stuff of hippie delusions, but it turns out there are a lot of reasons people live off the grid, and sometimes it isn’t a choice. Whether he is talking with a […]

No, this isn't the Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom; it's the critically acclaimed film <i>Animal Kingdom</i> by writer-director David Michod. If you aren't a crazy film buff you may have missed it on your way to the <i>Social Network</i> or <i>Inception</i>. A few folks who didn't miss this drama about a less than upstanding family […]

Who can imagine the holidays without Christmas-themed movies? "A Christmas Story" and "Miracle on 34th" Street are almost as traditional as decorated trees and yule logs. But not all holiday films are safe family fare. Think: "Bad Santa," "Die Hard," and "Gremlins." Then there are the forgotten seasonal flicks that are so bad, they’re actually […]

The only true medicine for the pain of politics is laughter—after all, if we weren’t laughing at the (mostly) unintentional humor emanating from Washington D.C. and state capitols, chances are we’d be crying. It’s been over a month since Republicans mercilessly beat up on House Democrats and yet the lame duck continues to quack away, […]

Blake Edwards, the comic genius behind Peter Sellers' "Pink Panther" character, passed away Wednesday evening at the age of 88. The filmmaker is well known for a slew of other comedies including "10," "Victor/Victoria" and "S.O.B." — the last of which were collaborations actress Julie Andrews, his wife of 41 years. Edwards had a more […]

Political irony rang through the halls of Congress yesterday as the Senate voted overwhelming to approve the deal that would extend tax cuts and unemployment benefits at the same time that votes were taking place on the massive 2011 omnibus spending bill—why is that ironic? Because as conservatives in the Senate were fulfilling one campaign […]

According to many in the media and across the country, Santa had better get his hard hat and AK-47 ready, because there’s a war brewing across the country against Christmas. Okay – maybe it’s not that dire, but over the past few years, greetings most likely aimed at being politically correct (like Happy Holidays instead […]

Video games these days have something for everyone. There are plenty of offerings for the warriors among us. For more light-hearted adventure, there are offerings like “Donkey Kong Country Returns.” “NBA 2K11” scores points with sports fans. And platforms like Nintendo’s Wii allow gamers to swing into untethered action. Want to dance? Try “Dance Central” […]

San Diego native Tony Hawk is undoubtedly the most famous skateboarder in the world but his life, like any good run, has been filled with hurdles that needed jumping, or grinding, ollieing, or flipping over. Thankfully, he happens to be good at all of those maneuvers. In 1999, Hawk retired from competitive skating at the […]

She started as a Teach for America recruit and has since become one of the most prominent public education officials in the country. Michelle Rhee has made it her life’s mission to reform the public education system, and her resume proves it. After Teach for America, Rhee founded and ran the New Teacher Project for […]